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29th Jan 2013

It Might Sound Potty But It Works: How The Vietnamese Toilet Train Their Kids By Nine Months

The secret every Irish parent will want to know...

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It’s the secret every new parent wants to know… how to get your child toilet-trained as soon as possible.

The trick? You must know how to whistle.

Irish parents could take a little inspiration from Vietnam where families credit whistling with getting babies out of nappies by just nine months.

By the age of two, when most kids in the West have yet to start potty training, Vietnamese kids were managing the entire process by themselves.

Swedish researchers explain that potty training in Vietnam started almost from birth, with mothers making a whistling sound when their child gave a sign that they needed to go to the bathroom.

The children quick associate the whistling with urinating and, by the age of nine months, they were able to keep dry so long as they were regularly reminded to sit on their potty.

Vietnamese kids have been potty trained since the age of nine months.

Early toilet training has traditionally been regarded as a badge of pride in Vietnam.

The researchers added that, as well as saving on the cost of nappies and the time spent changing them, learning to control the bladder very early in life could be better for urinary health in kids.

When did you start potty training your kids?

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